


The shatterdome is full of cats

by BaronVonChop



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Cats, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:03:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9142120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: On her way back to the Shatterdome one rainy day, Mako Mori finds a sad, soaked cat. Somehow, this leads to a competition between the Rangers to see who can get the most foster cats adopted.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [shmoo92](http://shmoo92.tumblr.com/) as part of the 2016 [Pacrim Holiday Swap](http://pacrimholidayswap.tumblr.com/). I hope you enjoy it!

One day, when little Mako is visiting Tamsin in the hospital, Tamsin lets her in on a secret. Stacker has stepped into the hallway to take a call, and Tamsin motions for Mako to come closer. Mako is not the type of child to clamber up onto a bed and snuggle with an adult. Instead, she grabs a nearby chair and leans her weight against it to get it to move, pushing it over to the bed. Tamsin watches, smiling slightly, as the serious-faced Mako turns the chair to face the bed, then climbs up into the chair.

Tamsin leans in closer. Though Mako is inclined to be polite and formal, there is something impish in Tamsin’s face that draws Mako closer. “I’ll be there’s something about Sensei that you don’t know yet,” Tamsin says in a conspiratorial whisper.

Mako’s eyes go wide. She was raised to respect every person’s privacy, but no child her age can resist a juicy secret. “What is it?”

“You would never know it from looking at him, and he would probably never admit it, but Stacker secretly loves cats.”

Mako’s face lights up. “I love cats, too!” she says.

Tamsin settles back on her bed. “He would never go out and get a pet cat, of course. He says it’s too much work. But if the opportunity should come up to introduce him to a little kitty… well, we’d see then, wouldn’t we?”

Mako nods solemnly, now fully Tamsin’s co-conspirator. “Thank you!” she says in a whisper, barely softer than her usual speaking voice.

Tamsin’s eyes go from Mako to the door, prompting Mako to turn guiltily. Her father walks into the room, eying Tamsin and Mako in turn. “Now what are you two whispering about?” he asks, his voice warm.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Tamsin says, lifting her chin in mock defiance.

Stacker raises his eyebrows at Mako. “Mako?”

Mako opens her mouth to reply when Tamsin says, “You don’t have to tell him anything! Remember, this is our secret.” Mako closes her mouth again, then giggles at this little act of rebellion. Tamsin beams at her proudly.

Stacker crosses the room and pulls over another chair. He touches Tamsin’s hand briefly, a small display of affection from a reserved man. “Well, all right, then. I won’t pry.”

Mako catches Tamsin’s eye, and Tamsin gives her a big, cheesy wink. Mako grins at that, and immediately starts formulating ideas for ways to introduce Stacker to some cats, each plan more improbable than the last.

 

Many years have passed, and Mako has just about forgotten her conversation with Tamsin, along with her own childish attempts to charm her father into bonding with a cat. As she is walking back to the Hong Kong Shatterdome on a rainy evening, she spots a small black cat huddled under a cardboard box. The sodden box has half-collapsed from the rain, and the cat is soaked through. Without thinking, Mako gathers the cat up into her arms. As she walks, she hunches her shoulders against the rain, and tucks the cat in under her coat.

By the time she arrives at the Shatterdome, the cat is snuggled against Mako’s shirt, shivering but warmer. Mako finds a dry spot outside the Shatterdome where an access doorway will allow the cat to be out of the elements. Though she finds it hard to leave the cat outside, it seems to be doing better, and she doubts she could bring it into the Shatterdome.

The next day, Mako goes out and buys some cat food, a food dish, and a water dish. The cat is nowhere to be seen when she returns to the access door, but she leaves the food and water out in case it comes back.

A few days later, Mako notices that the food has been eaten and the water level is lower, too. Encouraged, she puts out more food and refills the water. When her tasks are finished that evening, she checks the spot again to find not only the little black cat, but two other cats as well. They give her wary glances, so she keeps her distance. All three cats are skinny and skittish, and Mako’s heart goes out to them. She resolves to take them to a vet, if she can.

This proves to be no easy feat. The cats have no way of knowing that she has their best interests at heart, and they flee whenever she tries to approach. She takes to checking on their spot whenever she has time off, and though she keeps trying, she is never able to successfully approach them.

What she needs is some help. The cats can slip past her when she is on her own, but with more people, she might have more success. Mako is hesitant to bother anyone, because she knows that everyone is already tired from their tasks, as well as the constant strain of the looming kaiju threat. Then, as she is walking through the Jaeger hangar, she sees the Wei triplets playing basketball at the hoop they set up near Crimson Typhoon. She pauses to watch them, observing the careful way they guard each other and their nimble moves as they break for the basket. With the three brothers and Mako acting together, she is sure they could catch the cats.

Mako remains reluctant to ask for help, but in the end, she doesn’t have to. Hu Wei sees her watching and steps away from the game. Jin and Cheung see him leave and turn to see where he is going. All three of them walk over to Mako, three similar looks of curiosity on their faces. “Hi,” says Hu. “What’s up?”

“Sorry to bother you if you’re busy,” Mako says, bowing her head slightly.

“Pfft, busy?” is Jin’s response. “I can kick these guys’ butts at basketball any day. We’re not busy.”

Cheung studies her face. “You look like you could use a hand with something.”

Mako explains about the cats. She hasn’t even finished talking before the brothers are exchanging eager glances, and she knows what their response is going to be.

“Yeah, okay!” says Jin. “We can do it!” His brothers nod in agreement.

“Let’s go!” says Hu.

“We’ll need something to carry them in,” says Mako.

“Good idea,” Cheung declares. “Maybe we can get some cat carriers at an animal shelter.”

 

The animal shelter turns out to be extremely busy, and filled to capacity. They learn that, with all the chaos in the city, animals are being lost or abandoned at a rate the shelters can’t keep up with.

A worker brings them three cat carriers. She hands them to Mako and two of the brothers, then sighs. “If you bring us the cats, we can have one of our vets fix them, deworm them, and give them shots, but we have no room for them here. We’re over capacity as it is. If only there were another place we could take these cats.”

Mako thanks her for her help, and she and the Weis leave with the cat carriers. When they arrive at the access door, all three cats are there, snuggled together in a corner for warmth.

They put the cat carriers down and open them. Mako and the Wei brothers approach the cats slowly. “Careful not to startle them,” Mako cautions.

Mako’s previous attempts to catch the cats have made them skittish, and they prepare to flee the moment the four humans start to approach. As the humans draw closer, the cats bolt at the same time.

For several moments, there is chaos as humans and cats run back and forth, the cats trying to escape while the humans head them off and herd them back toward the doorway. The black cat tries to run past Mako, streaking past her with a turn of speed that catches Mako off-guard. She leaps after the cat and scoops it up, then holds it against her chest until it stops struggling and calms down.

Mako turns back in time to see an impressive move where Hu dives and catches one cat while Cheung jumps over him and catches the other. They do their best to hold onto the struggling cats while Jin fetches the cat carriers and helps Mako and his brothers get the cats inside.

Once the cats are finally safe inside, the four of them stop to catch their breaths.

“I tell you what,” Jin sighs in Cantonese, “These cats are way better at a fast break than you two are.”

Back at the animal shelter, the four of them attract quite a bit of attention. Word must have gotten out that Rangers from the PPDC were there earlier, because within minutes of their arrival the room is full of people craning to catch a look. Mako has never been entirely comfortable with the celebrity status that Rangers receive, so she is more than happy to let the Weis bask in the attention.

When the vet arrives to see to the cats, Mako follows her to the back room. There, she helps calm the cats so that the vet can attend to them. Mako has always been good with animals, and her endless patience and kindness eventually calm the cats enough so that the vet can take them out of the cat carriers and start inspecting them.

By the time Mako rejoins the Weis in the front room, all three brothers are beaming at her, and the staff there seem equally happy. “What is it?” Mako asks, already feeling a smile at the corners of her mouth.

“We have a plan!” Cheung exclaims.

“Oh?” Mako is fully smiling now.

“We’ll bring the cats to the Shatterdome,” says Hu, beaming. “If Rangers foster them, they will be sure to be adopted quickly!”

“People like Rangers,” Jin explains in a mock-conspiratorial whisper that carries through the room. “Who knew?” His words are somewhat undermined by the fact that several staff members have gathered around him, gazing at him adoringly.

“There’s just one thing we haven’t quite figured out,” Hu says. “What’s the Marshall going to say to all this?”

“A minor detail,” Cheung says, though all three brothers look somewhat nervous.

Mako remembers something Tamsin told her many years before. “I have a feeling the Marshall might agree.” The brothers grin at each other.

 

The next day, Stacker Pentecost pays Mako a visit in her quarters. “You wanted to see me?” he asks.

Mako turns from her desk. “There is something I would like to ask you.”

Stacker gives her an appraising look. “Yes?”

“The Wei brothers and I have an idea--”

Stacker’s eyebrows go up. “The Wei brothers?” The brothers have something of a reputation at the Shatterdome for getting into trouble.

“It’s a good idea,” Mako hurries to say. “It will help improve morale, while also helping to improve relations with the locals.”

Stacker crosses his arms. “I’m waiting.” He gives her a look that is simultaneously patient while also conveying to Mako that that patience is limited. Before Mako can say anything, a soft mew sounds from under her desk. “Miss Mori,” her father says, in a tone of voice she knows well.

Mako reaches under her desk and lifts the little black cat, which mews again. She holds it in her lap and scratches behind its neck. It almost instantly begins to purr loudly. To her relief, Stacker waits for an explanation, and Mako hurriedly tells him about the cats, the shelter, and the plan to have Rangers foster the cats until they can be adopted. “Given how much people love the Rangers, it shouldn’t take long for a cat to be adopted once people know that a Ranger is the one fostering it!” she concludes. “It will help the community see the kind and caring side of the PPDC.”

Stacker sighs. “All right. A few cats.”

 

It starts small enough: Mako fosters the small black cat, giving it a cat bed, a litter box, and a climbing tree in her room, while the Weis foster the other two cats. Then when they can’t agree on which cat was whose, the Weis get a third cat, and things start to snowball. The Hansens find out about Mako and the Wei brothers having cats, and they decide that they should contribute, too. Herc fosters the cat that was the closest to being put down, and Chuck takes Max to the shelter to find a cat that gets along well with the bulldog. All in all, that is still only six cats in the Shatterdome.

Then Sasha and Aleksis Kaidanovsky find out about the project. Everyone who knows the couple knows that they are incapable of doing anything in small measures. Aleksis builds climbing structures all over their room, to the point where there is barely enough room for the big man to get to his bed at the end of the day. Sasha hand-crafts cat toys, making sure they are durable and fun. Then they go to the shelter, intent on fostering as many cats as the shelter will let them.

At the shelter, they see that there are already notices on a bulletin board describing the cats that are being fostered by the other Rangers. The notices are fairly simple: a picture of the Ranger with the cat, and a brief description of the cat’s looks and temperament.

Sasha reads the notices with her hands on her hips, then snorts. “We can do better than this! How do they expect people to adopt these cats?” Aleksis nods in agreement.

One of the shelter staff points out, “Actually, we have had several offers already. Once the paperwork is approved, we will get in touch with the Rangers. It is our hope that they will continue to foster more cats for us!”

“Pfah! I should hope so!” Sasha declares. “But why foster just one cat at a time?”

The staff member hesitates to disagree with the intimidating blonde with the fierce eyes. “Well, even fostering one cat is already generous….”

Aleksis chuckles. “How many cats do you allow to be fostered at once?”

They refuse to leave until they have selected a dozen cats. They choose the ones that are the hardest to adopt: those with injuries or difficult personalities. Before they leave, they insist on creating their own notices for the cats.

“This is not to be rushed,” Aleksis says. “We get to know the cats for a week, then return with notices that are worthy of them.”

It soon becomes apparent that, despite their determination, keeping twelve troubled cats in a single room is too optimistic. Undaunted, the Kaidanovskys commandeer every room they can get their hands on, from a broom closet to the mail room. If the Shatterdome personnel object to a crabby old one-eyed tomcat taking a swipe at passersby from inside one of the mail cubbyholes, they know better than to complain to the Kaidanosvkys.

When the week has passed, the Kaidanovsky return, with the notices ready to go. In the pictures, either Sasha or Aleksis, wearing sunglasses and draped in gold chains, holds up a cat, wearing smaller sunglasses and draped in smaller gold chains. The descriptions are similarly over-the-top. For angry cats, the notice says, “This cat has a warrior’s heart, so only the courageous need apply!” For cats with physical ailments, the Kaidanovskys have written things like, “One leg missing, but you probably couldn’t have handled this cat if it still had all four.” For the mean old tom who lived in the mail room, the Kaidanvskys took a picture with both of them wearing their drivesuits while holding the cat aloft. The description reads, “This cat, like Cherno Alpha, has seen his share of battles - One eye, bad teeth, and no patience for fools - Only the worthy need apply!”

To everyone’s surprise but Aleksis and Sasha’s, the old tom is the first to be adopted.

 

Fueled by the Kaidanovskys’ boasting and the competitive spirits of the Wei brothers and the Hansens, all the Rangers try to see who can get the most cats adopted.

Mako, meanwhile, decides to be a “foster failure,” and she adopts the little black cat herself.

When the set time limit of the competition draws to the close, the Hansens, the Kaidanovskys, the Weis, and Mako meet at the shelter to see who has won. The staff of the shelter, who look much less stressed now that the shelter is significantly less full, all gather around. One of them reads from a tablet:

“In last place, with one cat adopted, is Mako Mori.” Mako smiles and shrugs. Her cat, which she has named Bean, gives an unconcerned yawn.

“In fourth place, Herc and Chuck Hansen, with fifteen cats.” Chuck scoffs, but Herc looks proud of their respectable score.

“In third place, Hu, Jin, and Cheung Wei, with nineteen cats.” The brothers high-five while grinning.

“In second place, Sasha and Aleksis Kaidanovsky, with twenty cats!” Sasha jumps into Aleksis’s arms and gives him a fierce kiss.

“But wait, that’s all of us!” says Mako.

“There is one more,” says the shelter staffer. “The winner, with thirty cats adopted…”

The door opens and Stacker Pentecost steps in. “Sorry I’m late, got caught up in something.”

“Stacker Pentecost!”

Mako cries out with delight. “You got thirty cats adopted?”

Stacker tries to keep a straight face, though his smile is poking through. “I kept trying to get rid of them, but the shelter kept giving me more! It will be good to have the Shatterdome back to normal.”

Bean gives a small squeak. “Well, almost normal,” Mako says.


End file.
